Car-coupling



A'Unire STATES PAT-ENT 'Ori/frein.

KGEORGE W. BARFIELD, OF ROME, GEORGIA.

oAR-CfouPLlNe.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,094, dated June 5, 1894.

Application filed Januari' 9,1894. serial No. 496,224. cto man.)

will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make anduse the same.

lhis lnvention relates to a new and iniproved car coupling and has reference more n particularly to that class employing pivoted jaws or knuckles.

The object/of the invention is, first, to pro vide a car-coupling with means for preventing accidents by reason of the, pulling out or disconnecting of one drawhead and, secondly, to provlde an improved, simple and highly elicient form of drawhead and means for securing the same.

The invention comprises the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as'hereinafter vt'ully set forth and particularlyv pointed out in the claims.

VIn the accompanying drawingsz-Figure lis a plan view of my improved coupler. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a front end View of the drawhead. Fig. 4 is an end View of a car with my coupler attached. Figs. 5 and 6 are details. j

Referring to the drawings, A designates the drawhead, having its outer end a curved and flared; and a. is the rearwardly projected chambered extension, the exterior of which is square, as `at a2, and cylindrical, as at a3. With the end of this chambered extension is formed, or it may be secured thereto, a keyplate B having a central and upper and lower holes or openings o. Through these holes are passed draft-pins or headed rods. o', the central one of which is inserted through the ehainbered extension. These draft-pins are also passed through a key-plate C having holes or openings therein similar to key-plate B, and through slots in the projecting ends of said pins suitable keys are inserted. This arrangement constitutes a tirm and secure lock for the dralwhead.

D is the jaw or knuckle which is pivotally mounted between upper and lower horizontal ears d of one side of the Iiared end of the drawincident holes in said ears and center of jaw or knuckle. The inner end d2 of this jaw or knuckle is bent or curved and designed to fit ina horizontal'chamber d3 in the iiaredH end of the drawhead. The outer end of this jaw or knuckle has a central horizontal slot d4, dividing said end into two corresponding ears d5, in yholes in which latter a headed pin d6 is designed to titfor coupling a link to the jaw or knuckle. When the jaw or knuckle is closed the curved ends of Aears d occupy a position corresponding ltothe curvature of the drawhead, leaving sufficient space fora `correspondingly shaped jaw or knuckle to interlock therewith. The'jaw or knuckle is held closed by a lockE movable in chamber d3. Said lock consists of a block e having a central rod e extending therefrom upwardly through a holein the top of the drawhead. When elevated the block e tits in a chambered extension of the top of the draw` head, the forward flanged end e2 of said block being designed to project into a recess e3.`

The block rests upon the inner curved end or tongue of the jaw or knuckle when the latter is opened. To the rod e is connected acentral arm fof a horizontal rod f attached to the end of a car, the ends of said rod having crank-handles whereby the lock can be raised from the sides of the car. For operating the same from the roof of a car a central vertical rod f2 is connected to said rod e'.

F is a safety hook depending froin the under side of the drawhead, its lower horizontal portion g being beneath the space between the jaw or knuckle and flared end of the drawhead, and is made sufficiently wide to well extend over said space. g of this hook is dovetailed and tits in a corresponding socket in the under side of the drawhead in which it is held by a nutted bolt g2 passed through a hole therein and a hollow web g3 extending downward from the drawhead. A central flange g4 projecting from the rear side of hook F bears at its upper edge against the under side of web g3," thus serving to additionally hold the hook F stationary. This safety hook is intended mainly to I prevent injury to cars caused by a drawhead -ot either car being pulled out and falling beneath the rearward cars, whlch occasion darnlhead, by a headed pin d passed through co- The upper end age to the brake-rigging of such following cars, and in many.cases causing the derailng of the latter. In the event of a drawhead pulling out the curved jaw or knuckle will fall down onto the safety hook of the other drawhead and be thereby prevented from falling to the ground. Should the drawhead of one car be higher or lower than another the safety hooks will overlap and serve as a support and additionally hold the couplers together.

In the event of breakage or damage to the safety hook the same can be readily removed and a new one substituted.

In cars having drawheads of unequal height the contact of the safety hooks serves to hold the couplers coupled when the train is traveling over rough tracks.

The advantages of `my invention are apparent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains, and it will be specially observed that `in addition to preventing accidents by falling drawheads, I provide simple and efficient means for securing the drawhead in place, and while I prefer to use three draftpins or rods for this purposeI do not restrict myself thereto. Another advantage lies in the fact that with very slight attention my coupler can be attached to any and all cars now in general use.

I claim as 1nyinventionu 1. The combination with the drawhead having a dovetail slot in its under side, a rearward hollow web and a pivoted jaw or knuckle, of a hook having an upper dovetail end fitting said slot and provided with a hole or opening, and a nutted bolt passed through said hole and said hollow web, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described im proved car coupling, comprising the drawhead having a rigid hook projecting from its under side and also provided with a forward flared end and a central chamber, a hollow rearward extension, two corresponding key plates, draft pins passed through holes in said key-plates, a jaw or knuckle pivoted to one side of said flared end and having a curved tongue mov able in said chamber, the block fitted in said chamberfor looking said tongue therein, the rod extending from said block, and means Connected to said rod `for operatin g said block from the sides or top of a car, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. BARFIELD.`

Witnesses:

J. B. F. LUMPKIN, J. W. C. HARRIS. 

